Mass comm makes big wins in OBEA Awards

Several OCU mass communications and film students won awards in the 2020 Oklahoma Broadcast Education Association student competition.

The OBEA awards are organized by the Oklahoma Broadcast Education Association. Their website states they are committed to providing a platform where the work and talent of Oklahoma’s media and communication students can be displayed and recognized. 

The winners include Brennyn Seagler, mass communication alumna (2^nd in PSA audio); Katie Allsup, music theater senior (3^rd in commercial audio); Katie Conner, mass communication senior (1^st in feature news audio); Hannah Campbell, mass communication sophomore (2^nd in feature news audio); Kaleigh Krimmel, mass communication senior (3^rd in feature news audio); Emily Wollenberg, acting alumna (3^rd in the COVID category); Hannah Boyens, film/vocal performance alumna (3^rd in video narrative); and Kristina Patterson, film production alumna (1^st in short form scriptwriting).

The COVID 19 category was a special category for work created online during the pandemic which addresses the pandemic or the online challenges occurring because of it.

Andy Gibson, mass communication artist in residence, said OCU students have always done well when it comes to the OBEA awards, especially considering the school and program size.

“We have a much smaller budget and much smaller program than other universities and yet, we’re able to hold our own next to these big state schools. It’s really wonderful to see,” Gibson said.

Gibson said gaining recognition for original content matters greatly when it comes to searching for job opportunities in the future. He said producing award-winning content can propel students in an industry that is particularly competitive.

“In this field, it’s all about how you present yourself, your video resume, your reel. If you’re producing content that has been reviewed and recognized, then the overall quality of that reel will definitely be higher,” Gibson said.

Considering how the pandemic affected the process of creating content for the competition, he said modern technology is what made it possible for students to continue working on their individual projects. He said students shot videos, recorded audio and even edited right from their personal devices when the university shut down due to COVID-19.

“If this had happened 10 years ago, it would have been nearly impossible, because a lot of students worked on these projects right on their smartphones,” Gibson said. “For example, Brennan Seagler actually finished editing from her house in Texas. These students had to figure out fast how to do some things at home that they would usually be doing here.”

He said Hannah Boyens was a perfect example of this because she shot and edited the piece as lockdown started.

“Boyens came in 3^rd with her downtown Tulsa piece, which was shot right at lockdown, and what was cool about that is she shot during the day in April when everything was completely empty. She got to share that in the video narrative category.”

Beth Adele, director & assistant professor of mass communications, said seeing how the students perform in competitions it highlights the interdisciplinary nature of the students at OCU.

“Every student of every major, at the core of what they are doing, is telling a story. It might be on the stage, in a video, in their graphic design, in language; they all have the same effect,” Adele said. “You pull one of these students out and give them a job, and you will find proof of their transferable skills and talents. At its core, this is for them.”

 Hannah Campbell created an audio package called “Spring Break Mission Trip” centering around the trip the Wesley Center’s volunteers take each year to one of the three United Methodist camp sites. She said recording just before the lockdown allowed her recording process to run fairly smoothly, with editing presenting the greater challenge.

“I got two different interviews [pre-lockdown] and created a script based off those interviews. Then I recorded my voiceovers and edited everything together with soundbites from the interview to create the whole package.”

She said she was especially surprised to find out she had placed in the competition because she didn’t know her Gibson had entered her work.

“It was a sweet surprise. More than anything, I think these competitions are a great way to showcase your work. It also helps build confidence in your craft,” Campbell said. “I would definitely recommend that people submit their projects to competitions. Even if you don’t win, it’s always a good experience.”